Romanian fighter jet shoots down drone over the Black Sea – Bucharest blames Russia

President Nicușor Dan convened an emergency meeting of the Supreme Defense Council following the incident. After its conclusion, the presidential office stated that air surveillance over the Black Sea had been reinforced and that it was in close contact with NATO allies. The alliance had taken note of the incident, according to Brussels.

Reactions in Bucharest and Brussels

The Neptune Deep gas field is being developed in equal parts by the OMV subsidiary Petrom and the Romanian state-owned company Romgaz. The platform is located around 150 kilometers off the Romanian coast in the Black Sea and is considered one of the country's most important energy projects. Development had only begun this year.

The European Union sees no immediate threat to gas supply security in Europe following an initial assessment. A European Commission spokesperson stated that storage reserves were well filled and that alternative supply routes were available. The Commission is in contact with Bucharest.

Impact on gas supply

Bucharest had repeatedly reported Russian drones in its airspace in recent months. Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, there have been repeated incidents in the border area and over the Black Sea. NATO air forces had already taken off several times to identify and accompany suspicious objects.

OMV stated that operations on the Neptune Deep platform were continuing normally and that the incident zone had been closed as a precaution. It is in contact with the Romanian authorities and is reviewing possible impacts on production. Romgaz did not comment initially.

Threats over the Black Sea

The Romanian government is considering, according to information from Bucharest, officially reporting the incident to the United Nations and at the NATO Council. At the same time, it is being examined whether additional protective measures for critical energy infrastructure in the Black Sea are necessary. The date for the next NATO Council meeting in Brussels is in the coming week.

Analysts pointed out that the Black Sea has repeatedly become the scene of direct confrontations in recent years. The increasing frequency of Russian drone overflights over NATO territory represents a serious burden for alliance defense. Romania last reported the downing of a drone over the Black Sea in the spring of 2025.